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was owned by a Jewish family by the name of Szpilfogel; and Winnica
was ostensibly owned by French interests, but in reality there was a secret 50
percent ownership in IG Chemie of Basel. In actual effect, Farben controlled
the latter half interest because of its relationship with the record owner and
because it had option rights of purchase with IG Chemie. Farben’s interest
had been so cloaked at the time of the establishment of Winnica because of
Polish restrictions on German capital investments. Farben’s half ownership
meant it had a legitimate interest to protect but gave no color of right to the
dismantling of parts of the Winnica installations.
These three plants,
with a fourth plant, Pabjanica (owned by Swiss interests and not here
involved), accounted for more than one-half of the Polish dyestuff needs. Von
Schnitzler pointed out that the Boruta and Wola were wholly owned by Polish
interests and were members of the dyestuffs cartel. He called attention to the
considerable and valuable stocks of preliminary, intermediate, and final
products in the plants and stated: “Although not wanting to take a
position on further operation, we consider it of primary importance that the
above-mentioned stocks be used by experts in the interest of German national
economy. Only IG is in a position to make experts available.” A Farben
representative was suggested as the appropriate person for the task.
Shortly thereafter, on 14 September 1939, von Schnitzler and Krueger
addressed a letter to the Ministry of Economics confirming a conference of that
same date [NI-2749, Pros. Ex.
1139]. The letter proposed that Farben be named as trustee to administer
Boruta, Wola, and Winnica, to continue operating them, or to close them down,
to utilize their supplies, intermediates, and final products. Two Farben
employees were recommended as executives for the undertaking. Von Schnitzler
affirmatively recommended that Wola be closed down permanently and that Boruta
be declared to be of special value to the German war economy as most of the
German dyestuffs plants were located in the Western Zone, so that. Boruta had a
“double value.” Replying to von Schnitzler’s letter, the Reich
Ministry of Economics advised that it had decided to comply with Farben’s
suggestion and would place Boruta, Wola, and Winnica, located in former Polish
territories, now occupied by German forces, under provisional management. The
Reich Ministry of Economics was apparently under no illusions as to
Farben’s acquisitive desires in provoking the provisional administration.
It agreed to name the Farben-recommended employees as provisional managers, but
specified that such action created no priority rights of purchase for Farben.
This exhibit indicates that the action of the Reich authorities in relation to
these properties was directly instigated by Farben. Farben’s nominees
swung into action and took possession of the plants in early October of 1939.
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